A Brazilian Senate panel probing the government's pandemic response on Wednesday presented the prosecutor general's office with recommendations to criminally charge President Jair Bolsonaro for alleged errors that cost Brazilian lives.
Prosecutor General Augusto Aras was appointed by Bolsonaro in 2019 on the recommendation of conservative allies and is not expected to charge him. Still, the opposition-controlled panel's damning report is unlikely to help the right-wing leader's flagging popularity heading into an election year.
It also accuses the government of choosing to delay vaccine purchases, directly leading to the death of many Brazilians. Aside from Bolsonaro, the panel recommended charges be brought against 78 people, ranging from officials to bloggers, academics and healthcare professionals. "With this new information, we will be able to advance in the investigation," Aras said in a tweet by the federal prosecutor's office, as he was pictured receiving the report.